Into the Depths

Sean drank desperately. No regard was present in his mind for contaminants, nor even the sound which his angry lapping created. Surely there would be no reason for the creatures which shared this underground world to follow down with their refuse? And yet, a distinct feeling of unease ate away at his gut. His thoughts began to snowball. What if there was another way in? Or worse, what if there were no way out? Could those…things…come back for him? Had they any reason to? And the stench…

He leaned both hands to the wall, steadying himself, making every effort to regain control of his racing mind. He needed to find an escape route. He brought out the lighter once more, flicking at it a few times until the flame leapt from it. The ligt provided was not enough to fill the entire room, but it did give him a sense of his immediate surroundings. Peering through the dim circle of illumination, he confirmed this was for certain a garbage pit. The flame licked gently towards his left as he paced into the center of the room, indicating a draft from the right. Sean sighed in relief and made for the source. From what he could see, there was no opening, but the cavern was dark and it could be hidden by shadow.

He reached the wall. With one hand on the lighter, he used his free hand to trace the surface of the wall. After some awkward pawing, his fingers slid over a crack. It was narrow, only a few inches wide, but it was something. He felt further up, though the crack only narrowed as he did so. Sean changed direction, working his way down, until he found a point at which it widened considerably, at a point being wide enough to fit his shoulders through. Even still, there were only some twelve inches of clearance between the floor and the ceiling of the crevice. He thought to himself if he should continue looking, or perhaps attempt to scale the “chute” which had brought him down here. Before any decision could be made, he heard the distinct sound of voices babbling from above. Forced to act, he extinguished his light and dropped to his stomach. The floor was slick and smelled of iron. Water mixed with blood and entrails as it gently flowed into the passageway. Sean did his best not to vomit. He pulled his body along in a narrow, jilted army crawl. It was grueling, and after several minutes of straining, he began to wonder if he would even be able to fit through whatever opening was on the other side. His heart raced with each pull forward.

It was as he felt hopelessness set in that he heard it - the sound of falling water. He accelerated without regard for the bumps and scratches incurred by the jagged walls around him. The sound grew louder, and he recognized the distinct gurgle of water falling into water. His fingers gripped a ledge, and he rocketed forward.

Out into open space. He felt his body fall through the perfect darkness, all sense of direction lost as he plummeted into the unknown.

He stopped as abruptly as he’d started. A pool of water, unknown in depth, caught him. He sank several feet before he was able to get his bearings. Instincts took over, and Sean found himself moving upward, gasping loudly as he breached the surface. Without a thought, he paddled forward. There was nothing to see, though he hoped there would be some form of shoreline. It was not long before his hands slapped against cold, damp, rock. With all the strength he could muster, Sean pulled himself out of the pool and laid on his against the frigid stone.

The immediate danger having passed, he finally had an opportunity to take stock of the situation. There was a dull ache emanating from the back of his skull, presumably from his initial entry into the cave system. If there was any concussion, it had as of yet been obscured by the darkness which surrounded him. More problematic was the present circumstance of his soaked clothing. Was it the air that was cold or the water? Remaining clothed would only risk hypothermia, but undressing could be just as problematic. Sean wracked his brain for any memories of the inner workings and climate of a cave, but there was nothing. The water kept bubbling. Then it struck him. He’d not fallen from a place with water. And yet, there was a distinct sound of water falling in on itself. How could this be? He pulled his body into a kneeling position, nausea rising as disorientation took hold.

He pulled the lighter from his pocket once more, flicking the wet instrument several times in vain. Without light, he stumbled forward until his hands found the wall. Working along the edge of the room, he made his way towards the source of the sound. Step by step he moved to the left. Soon enough the gurgle grew louder. Sean could not see, but he felt cool water fall onto his head. Instinctively, he leaned back and caught the stream in his mouth. The mineral rich liquid invigorated him as he felt it run down his still parched throat. He stood like that for some time, recovering from all he’d experienced in his time underground. That was still a problem, however. He needed to get out, or thirst and cold would no longer be his biggest worries.

Sean worked within his mind to block out the familiar sound of running water, and to his credit, it worked somewhat. He couldn’t tell if he felt or heard the draft first, but it was distinct. Shakily, he worked his way in the direction of what he could only imagine was another passage, and after several grueling minutes, he was rewarded. It was a passage, and deep within, from around a distant corner, he saw light.